


Somewhere in Between

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, Episode: s07e01 The Ticket, F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 08:05:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6846337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"God Leo, I don't want to fight.  I haven't seen you in nearly two weeks."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somewhere in Between

**Author's Note:**

> Less than 24 hours after the premiere and I already have an idea for my favorite couple. While it was not the best episode I have ever seen, I'm refraining from sticking pins in my John Wells voodoo doll for at least two weeks. Allison Janney looked beautiful, John Spencer poised and ready, and I am sure the CJ/Danny shippers partied well into the night. Allison, Emmy #5 perhaps? And while me and my shippers are a small, dedicated bunch, we loved the hug and kiss in the mural room.

CJ walked into the bedroom where Jaheim was singing Put That Woman First on the CD player. Her husband sat on the bed and though he scared the hell out of her, CJ pretended he didn’t.

“I didn’t expect you.” She said, throwing her robe onto the chair and walking over to Leo’s closet without a stitch of clothing on. His eyes followed her but he said nothing.

“I live here CJ.” He replied.

“Mmm hmm, I know.”

She threw on the Bartlet/Hoynes tee shirt over her head, flopped on the bed, and began to brush her hair. She cut the music.

“You dyed your hair...you didn’t even tell me.”

“Is that why I was a sight for sore eyes this afternoon?”

“That meeting did not go as planned.”

“Leo, your allegiances may have changed, but mine cannot.”

“Never question my allegiance.” His voice got dark and so did his eyes. “Both Jed and Matt know where I stand.”

“Yeah, well that’s good since they are the only ones that matter.”

“Toby seems to have you backed up appropriately.” Leo countered.

“He is a married man!” she exclaimed, before sighing loudly. “God Leo, I don’t want to fight. I haven’t seen you in nearly two weeks.”

“I called but it was so hard to reach you. Something is happening.”

“The usual hysteria. It was not supposed to be like this at the end.”

“The usual doesn’t have Oliver Babish in your office all day.”

“It’s the probe thing. Nothing to concern yourself with.” She put the brush on the nightstand.

“What? Of course I will concern myself. What's happening?”

“Leo please.” There were tears in her voice. “I had a horrible day and I am not going to rehash it. Its over.”

“Do you want to sleep alone?” Leo asked quietly.

“No.” CJ looped her long arms around him, pulling him fully onto the bed. Leo shifted to his back and held onto her for dear life. Something bad was happening and she didn’t want to talk to him.

“All I want to do is feel you...I've missed you so much.”

“I missed you too. God baby, this is...its hard.”

CJ sat up some. He knew that look in her eyes; she did not want to talk. There was something else there too but Leo didn’t recognize it. She looked so tired, was it possible after six years she had new faces.

“Get undressed Leo.”

Reluctantly, he moved away from her and took off his grey slacks, dress shirt, and socks. He got up from the bed and threw them over the chair on top of her robe. When he turned back, his wife lay in her full glory. Damn, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen...age was only working in her favor. Ten days without her being close was physically debilitating. It was more than sex, though that was always good. Leo missed holding her, laughing with her, smelling her skin, being with their children, just knowing she was nearby.

All that he’d dealt with for the past 10 days were hotel rooms, speeches, persistent press mongers, and Annabeth. He was too nice to tell her that she was efficient, but overbearing. Margaret had nothing on that woman. Margaret, God he wasn’t even there when she had her son...Bruno’s son. He just prayed she was not alone.

“Come to bed Leo. Leave the boxers.”

He climbed between the cool sheets and held his wife. She rubbed his stomach; they both exhaled. She turned out the lights and they were quiet in the darkness.

“Did you see the kids?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be here for a day or so and I want to make sure I spend some time with them. I also want to see Brian and...”

“They are going to try to bring me down Leo and it could be bad for you.”

CJ hardly whispered it. She stiffened in her husband’s arms and he rubbed her back.

“What are you talking about? The NASA thing?”

“The leak came from inside, according to Kate Harper. I was with Oliver Babish all day because he thinks I grabbed one of my favorite reporters and violated several federal laws to tip the President’s hand in saving those astronauts.”

“CJ please, tell me...”

“God Leo, no. I cannot say I am not glad that it is out. To let people die because we are trying to put weapons in space is asinine.”

He did not respond.

“I don’t want this to affect Matt...you know what I don’t give a fuck about him. I need you here, not there.”

“I'm here baby.” He held her closer.

“Today Leo, and for a couple hours tomorrow. What about after that?”

“It is just for a few more months. I'm sorry CJ.”

She sucked up the tears; she was sick of crying. Anyway, now was the time to go into survivor mode. She had to for her children and herself. They were already slinging the mud at Leo and someone stuck a microphone in her face today when all she wanted to do was go out for yogurt. Bill nearly broke the guy’s arm. She did not want this to affect Leo and the election, but right now that was the last thing CJ cared about.

“In the interest of full disclosure...”

“Oh God, don’t say that to me again.” She shuddered.

“Sorry. Dammit, I can't say anything right tonight.” He sighed. “Matt wants me to do 20/20; they all do. People want the whole dirty story and it is the best way to get the press off my back and back onto the issues. Everyone knows the story but they want to hear Barbara Walters ask the tough questions.”

CJ took another breath.

“I can't go on there with you.” She replied. “Things are too shaky for me right now. And I don’t want you talking about us.”

“That’s not what the interview is about.” Leo said.

“Leo, come on. It is a trap, but you have to take the bait. She is going to ask you things that you may not want to discuss and you cannot pull the ‘no comment’ on things that may have happened when you were Secretary of Labor and you were high on Valium.”

“I know. And how will it be if I ‘no comment’ on questions about you?”

“I would rather have everyone think we are on thin ice than think you have fallen off the wagon, or some crisis will make you fall off the wagon.”

“Are we on thin ice Claudia Jean?” he asked.

“Shut up.”

“OK. C’mon CJ, you need to relax. You are so tense baby; my God.”

“I haven’t...nothing comes easy for me these days. Especially sleep. I have missed you so much.”

She caressed his face. Her breath was warm on his skin and Leo’s body reacted immediately. Her hands ran down his naked chest, lingering on his bypass scar. They settled on his hips.

“I want you on top of me Claudia Jean.” His voice was raspy with desire. “I need to see you.”

CJ straddled him, leaning to kiss his mouth. It felt like a lifetime since they had been this close. Sometimes it felt like they would never be this close again.

“A sight for sore eyes.” He mumbled between kisses.

His hands were everywhere, and CJ’s gasps and moans only charged Leo more. He slid all the way into her, thrusting when there was nowhere left to go.

“Oh God, Leo.” She threw her head back.

“Ride baby.”

CJ went slow and Leo struggled against the overwhelming desire to detonate. He reached up to caress her breasts, pinching the nipples until CJ wailed with desire. When he thrust, she groaned. He took a firm hold on her hips and they both knew it was almost over. She started calling his name over and over...Leo wanted to join in but found the ability to make words had left him.

“Oh, mmm, Leo, oh, Leo, Mr. Vice-President!”

As much as she seemed to hate the campaign, and his running, she loved to scream that name. And upon hearing it, Leo came like a geyser. His wife collapsed on him, breathing hard.

“Don't move CJ.” He took her words.

“I'm not going anywhere. Just don’t let me go.”

Leo nodded, loving the feel of her hair tickling the sensitive spot on his neck and his softening erection still as deep in her as it could ever be.

“The hair is beautiful. Is it permanent?”

“Something like 24 shampoos. Don’t talk.”

“Yeah.”

Leo held her tight, trying his best to take the pain from her into himself. In about 40 hours they would be separated again as she went through one of the toughest fights of her career and life. Santos said it would take another heart attack to fire him, and Leo refused to quit. For the first time he got a glimpse of what this was doing to the woman he loved most in the world. _Oh God_ , he prayed, _let her be stronger than Jenny. I'm sorry Jenny; I'm so sorry CJ_.

“I'm so sorry baby.” He whispered.

“I know. I fucking love you.”

“I love you too CJ.”

***


End file.
